Antiques and history are writer's true passion

Robert Swope is photographed within one of the booths he maintains with his wife inside the Factory Antique Mall in Verona on Wednesday, April 29, 2015. An author, Swope’s passions include antiques, history and photography. (Photo: Mike Tripp/The News Leader)Buy Photo

Author Robert Swope's hands-on approach to history comes to the forefront when he speaks to a group of fellow history enthusiasts. In his talks, he not only conveys his extensive knowledge of the different eras he has studied, he also gives his audience the opportunity to view photographs of the period as well as actual items from his collection of historical artifacts.

Swope, 65, was born in Turbotville, Pa., a town of 800 people. He graduated from Warrior Run High school which is located on the site of a fort that was destroyed during the Revolutionary War in a battle between the Iroquois and Butler's Rangers.

Swope attended a community college for two years. He then enrolled in Susquehanna University majoring in English. He met his future wife, Linda while at university. After graduating he taught English for eight years at the same school he had attended in Turbotville. While teaching he was also attending Bucknell University where he graduated with a masters degree in education. It was during this period that he made his first forays into writing with articles in history and antique publications.

"I always had an acute interest in history so the writing I liked to do was always associated with history. People would ask me why I taught English instead of history since I loved history so much. I would tell them I didn't want to mix business with pleasure, he said.

In 1979, Swope and his wife moved to Spotsylvania, Va. where he taught school for one year.

"I chose that area of Virginia because there were four major Civil War battles there and I wanted to immerse myself in the history of that period," he said.

It was at this time that he wrote his first book, 'Indian Artifacts of the East and South', a subject he was also passionate about. He went on to write five full length historical books and several short booklets.

In 1990 the couple purchased a home in New Hope. Swope continued his writing and became more involved in antiquing.

One of Swope's full length books is 'Tall Dogs and Hellcats.' In World War II, Group 2 navy pilots were called Tall Dogs and the planes they flew were Hellcats.

"There's an interesting story about the origins of this particular book," he said.

In the 1990s, Swope purchased a storage locker at auction. The contents included a treasure trove of more than 300 photographs taken during World War II. Swope discovered other papers in the locker which led him to navy veteran, Ted Riddell, who had died in 1978. He began extensively researching Riddle by finding family members and attending veteran reunions.

"It turned out that Ted Riddell had flown with Group 2 in World War II as a navy photographer. The photos I had uncovered were taken by him as the official photographer on naval flying missions throughout the war. My passion for history really kicked in at this point. The photographs are amazing and the facts I uncovered along the way about the Group 2, Tall Dog pilots convinced me that I just had to tell their story," he said.

1. Another fact Swope discovered in his research was that Ted Riddell had been circulation manager at the News Leader after World War II. The book was published in 2001.

Swope and his wife have six booths at the Factory Antique Mall in Verona where he sells a wide range of items. The couple makes regular trips far and wide to search out interesting antiques. They have been at the mall for 12 years.

Swope is currently at work on a book about the Revolutionary War.

"I love it here in the Valley because it's exactly like the place where I grew up. We have rivers, valleys, mountains, farmland and the incredible beauty of nature."

Family members: Wife, Linda, one son, Robert III, daughter-in-law, Mary, two daughters, Amy and Lynnette, one grandson, Bannen, four sisters, Vickie, Diane, Judy and Kay

Pets at home: Four dogs that my kids brought home and left with me

Church you attend: Pleasant Valley Church of the Brethren

Favorite leisure pastime: Linda and I play quoits with a group from Reading, Pa.

Recent read: "The Battle of Brandywine"

Dream conversation: My father or my best friend who passed away three years ago

What quality do you most admire in a person? Fortitude

What's on your Bucket List? "I would like to continue writing for as long as I can."

Dream vacation: South America

Pet peeve: Shoplifting

Internet favorites: Researching history

Greatest fear: Heights

If you could go back in time and experience life in another era, what would it be? World War II period because it was such a momentous time in historyFavorite quote: "If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you" from Rudyard Kipling's poem 'If'